The UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 commits the world to ensure that everyone has access to safe water by 2030, and includes targets for protecting the natural environment and reducing pollution.

World Water Day is celebrated on 22 March every year to focus attention on the importance of water. It also highlights the need for the sustainable management of freshwater resources around the world.

World Water Day is coordinated by UN-Water – the UN's inter-agency collaboration mechanism for all freshwater related issues - in collaboration with governments and partners.

The theme for World Water Day 2018 is 'Nature for Water' – exploring nature-based solutions to the water challenges we face in the 21st century.

Nature-based solutions have the potential to solve many of our water challenges. We need to do so much more with 'green' infrastructure and harmonize it with 'grey' infrastructure wherever possible. Planting new forests, reconnecting rivers to floodplains, and restoring wetlands will rebalance the water cycle and improve human health and livelihoods.

According to UN report, globally, over 80 percent of the wastewater generated by society flows back into the ecosystem without being treated or reused.

Today, there are over 663 million people living without a safe water supply close to home, spending countless hours queuing or trekking to distant sources, and coping with the health impacts of using contaminated water.

The UNSustainable Development Goal 6 commits the world to ensure that everyone has access to safe water by 2030, and includes targets for protecting the natural environment and reducing pollution.

The opportunities for exploiting wastewater as a resource are enormous. Safely managed wastewater is an affordable and sustainable source of water, energy, nutrients and other recoverable materials.This Water day we all need to take a pledge to restore and protect our ecosystems to face the water challenges for tomorrow.